‘Disaster’: RV park closure a killer for Proserpine, say businesses

Business owners at a small Whitsundays town have shared how they have been impacted by a council decision to close an RV park they say revived businesses in “quieter times”.

Business owners at a small Whitsundays town have shared how they have been impacted by the closure of an RV park they say revived businesses in “quieter times”. Picture: Contributed/Estelle Sanchez

Business owners at a small Whitsundays town have shared how they have been impacted by the closure of an RV park they say revived businesses in “quieter times”.

From souvenir shops to cafes, business owners say they had questions about why the RV park had to close and what would replace it.

Whitsunday Regional Council voted not to renew its lease on the RV park next to St Catherine’s Catholic Church in Proserpine, as the contract involved investing up to $1.5 million in the installation of drainage, lighting and appropriate carpark seal to the parking area should the site be operated permanently.

A majority of councillors argued investing in a property they did not own was unbudgeted and that the money would be better spent elsewhere.

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall said the conditions of the Development Approval (DA) fall under the Local Government Planning Act and conditions cannot be varied by the landholder, in this case the Catholic Church.

But many Proserpine business owners have felt the impact of not having an RV park anymore only two weeks after the closure, with fewer travellers walking the streets, while some workers are having their hours cut.

An employee at the famous Proserpine Pies and Pastries, Julie Smith, said staff had seen their hours cut in the past few weeks due to a decrease in customers and she said it wasn’t enough hours to make ends meet.

Kylie Bell, Carmen Munday, Julie Smith and Emma Hogan in front of Proserpine Pies and Pastries. Picture: Contributed

Ms Hall said the opening of the RV Park in 2019 had been done prior to the opening of Lake Proserpine camping facility which recently celebrated their “10,000th visitor” since it kicked off in June 2021.

INJECTION OF $10M A YEAR

“Hundreds of vehicles each week travel through Proserpine during peak season to visit and stay at Lake Proserpine with an average spend of $385 on provisions and services per vehicle,” Ms Hall said.

“In real terms that means an estimated economic injection into Proserpine of over $10 million annually and the flow-on potential to create an extra 58 local jobs.’’

Owner of More than a Gift Shop in Proserpine, Kay Symington, said since the RV closure, there hasn’t been as much foot traffic in town and that her business had been “slower by 25 per cent”, she estimated.

“Just sitting around waiting,” she said referring to what days were looking like for her.

Ms Symington didn’t understand why the RV Park had to close but she said if council was looking at finding another spot, it had to be “walking distance” to town.

Ms Hall said options central to Proserpine were “limited”.

More than a Gift Shop owner Kay Symington. Picture: Estelle Sanchez

Fresh Fields News and Gifts owner Barbara Cochrane said the closure of the RV park was a “disaster” and that “things have slowed off” for her too.

“It brought people to the town in quieter times,” she said.

Owner of Fresh Fields News and Gifts Barbara Cochrane. Picture: Estelle Sanchez

BUSINESSES NOT CONSULTED ON CLOSURE

Ms Cochrane said she wasn’t happy business owners like herself were not consulted on the matter.

“I have souvenirs that I have to order six weeks out … I wouldn’t have done a big order if I’d known,” she said.

Ms Cochrane said the town would benefit from getting a new RV park, and mentioned a piece of land that faces the Proserpine Hospital which belongs to sugar mill company Wilmar.

Ms Hall said the Wilmar site was previously considered, but that it had “triggered multiple planning and access issues with Department of Transport and Main Roads and proximity to Proserpine Hospital and RACQ CQ helicopter landing pad.”

Whitsunday Creatives owner Jade Richardson said her business had been very slow, seeing a decrease in sales by 50 per cent in the past few weeks.

She said she wasn’t directly impacted by the RV park closing down as it was “that time of year” when business gets slower for her.

But she said if other businesses were losing customers, this would impact her as well as most of her customer base were locals.

“If they’re losing business, they won’t be spending as much at my shop,” she said.

Whitsunday Creatives owner Jade Richardson. Picture: Estelle Sanchez

Owner of famous cafe and grocery shop Healthy Haven, Kate Apton, said her shop should have been “full” this time of year, but only a few people were at the cafe that morning.

She said the business got a lot of customers from the RV park as it was “so close” to it and people would stock up on healthy or gluten free products at her shop as they wouldn’t find the same options everywhere.

Proserpine shop Healthy Haven was quiet after the RV Park closure. Picture: Estelle Sanchez